I'd Rather Be In Love
by 1432
Summary: You can't help who you love no matter how hard it is. Feelings are revealed, discoveries are made, and lives are put on the line as Ash and co. have to go through the most difficult adventure they've faced yet. AAMRN with some JAJR. [complete]
1. Prologue

I'd Rather Be In Love  
  
Romance/Action/Adventure-PG13  
  
Summary: You can't help who you love no matter how hard it is. Feelings are revealed, discoveries are made, and lives are put on the line as Ash and co .have to go through the most difficult adventure they've faced yet. AAMRN with a little JAJR later on.  
  
Ash-17.Misty-17.Brock-19.Jessie-21.James-21  
  
PROLOUGE  
  
--  
  
I cannot help it I couldn't stop it if I tried  
  
The same old heartbeat fills the emptiness I have inside  
  
And I've heard that you can't fight love, so I won't complain  
  
'Cause why would I stop the fire that keeps me going on?  
  
--  
  
You never know when it's going to happen, or why it does. You can never be prepared for it or even have an idea of how it will happen, where it'll happen, or who will make it happen to you. All you know is that moment. The moment when your legs turn to jelly and your throat turns to sand. The moment when you can't speak, can't move, can't blink, or can't even breathe. Your stomach drops and no matter how fast the pounding in your chest is you don't feel it. All you can feel is that spinning. That spinning into infinity, the headlong spiral that just wracks your brain and stops your heart.   
  
At least that's what happened to me. When I first fell in love.  
  
I didn't know what it was or why it happened, or even how one person could have such an effect on me. It wasn't even someone special; it wasn't someone who made me particularly feel good about myself or was nice to me even. It wasn't someone who was particularly polite when we met or someone I would choose as my friend. But as they say, you can't help who you love. You're not supposed to. And knowing that, I'm not afraid to admit to myself and myself only ... that I, Ash Ketchum, am and have been in love with Misty Waterflower from the second I saw her.  
  
--  
  
Now, a young, dense kid such as myself, it would have never been thought that I'd be one to fall for someone as hard as I have. especially her of all people. I had not known what my feelings were the first time I had met her and it took me years for me to understand and comprehend what my feelings for her actually were. She was a confusing girl in our early traveling years. Sometimes we'd be the best of friends and there'd even be times where I wondered if it was possible that she felt the same way about me that I did about her. The rest of the time she was the complete opposite. She'd yell at me, tease me, and criticize my every move. I soon came to learn, though, that without her pushing me to my limits, I never would have accomplished my goal of becoming a master.  
  
Over our years of traveling there have been more than a plethora of the strange people and situations we ran across. Some of our occurrences had even been life threatening to such an extent. People came and went in and out of our lives. The only people that really stuck with me for a long amount of time were Misty, Brock, and Tracey. We never traveled together all at once. First it had been Misty and Brock who accompanied me, the infamous trio. Brock had gone away and Tracey joined us for some amount of time, but he soon rejoined us again and Tracey disbanded the group to pursue his own research.  
  
I had always known that people would be constantly walking in and out of my lives. I was prepared for meeting someone once and then never seeing them again on my long embarking journey. It was amazing though, that the second Misty walked into my life... she was the one person I could never imagine life without.  
  
It would be a lie to say that during all this time we were still the same immature pre-teenagers we started out as. The past seven years have been a time where Misty, Brock, and I have grown up more than redeemed possible. We all had gained maturity; I probably had been the one who gained the most out of all. I had finally learned to think before I act something Misty had desperately been trying to teach me. I was always a sensitive and caring guy and that hadn't changed much, neither did the fact that I was in love with Misty. The feelings I felt for did get a hell of a lot stronger, I'll say that, to the point where I had to leave the room unable to function with my heart beating a mile a minute just because she laughed.  
  
She had changed along the way as well. She matured and became more understanding so that her teasing towards me had come down to just a joking matter which was taken lightly by both of us. She still had a temper at times and it was never a pretty sight when she was mad, but I have to admit, when she's mad I've never seen her more beautiful. Misty always had been pretty even when we were young, I would never let her know that, of course, but as of now, keeping my eyes off of her had become a nearly impossible task. She was utterly beautiful and I was not the only one who thought so. She had changed so much physically along with her maturity, her hair was longer and she rarely ever ventured in wearing it up anymore. She wore skirts and dresses at times, and tight clothing that showed off the beautiful figure that I desperately tried not to pay attention to. She was definitely not a tomboy anymore that's for sure, but the problem was I wasn't the only guy who thought she was pretty. She had dozens of guys practically crawling at her feet... and it drove me completely out of my mind.  
  
It was not as if I did not have my own portion of female admirers as well. I had changed physically and mentally as she had, just maybe not to as much of an extreme. I had grown tall, nearly six feet which was only about an inch or two under Brock. I had become muscular and was considered pretty attractive if I did say so myself. I would admit though, that I was still pretty dense but I had grown wiser and now thought before I acted. Except, when it came to Misty... I never knew what I was saying when I was around her. If was as if she put a spell on me, taking away all the common sense and confidence I had in myself.  
  
Throughout it all, we still remained the best of friends but the fact that she was completely comfortable with me while I could barley breathe in front of her was beginning to get out of hand. There were some times where she was just as embarrassed as I always around her all the time. People constantly made comments about how we should go out or how cute it was when we fought, and even though she tried to make light of the situation and joke about it, she was still blushing deeper than the color of her hair. She was stubborn, there was no denying that and she did have a hard time admitting anything. Which was why I was the most shocked I had ever been when she told me what she did.  
  
I've heard the saying that the worst situations tend to bring out the best in people. We had been through several life-threatening occurrences and never had what I had wanted to come from Misty ever came. Although, it was pretty ironic, that during all my brushes with death, she was always the one who had saved me. Nearly dying more than once had a pretty big affect on me, I did try to be more careful but as Misty told me I was "a walking accident." I had been grateful for one thing mostly though, that it was always me and never her. I would rather face death a million times than have one ounce of harm come to her. It was me who mostly got us into the messes and I should be the one paying for the mistakes I made.   
  
I never really forgave myself for what happened that one day. It truly was a day of new beginnings. A day of new discoveries, new feelings, new friends, and a new outlook on life. It was something seven years in the making that I never thought I'd have to run across and probably was the best and the worst day at the same time. And here is why...  
  
--  
  
'Cause when there's you I feel whole  
  
And there's no better feeling in the world  
  
But without you I'm alone  
  
And I'd rather be in love with you  
  
--  
  
A/N: This is my first chapter fic, the whole story is in Ash's POV but the whole thing is not only AAMRN. It will have action/drama as the main events of the story with romance as well. Review please =) oh and someone please tell me how to do italics... thx. 


	2. The Calm Before the Storm

CHAPTER 1 The Calm Before the Storm  
  
--  
  
It was a normal summer day like any other we had before. Brock sat holding a magazine which he "claimed" to be Breeders Weekly, but if Misty or I asked to see the inside pages he'd flip out and hold it to his chest like a prized possession. Misty lay tanning several feet away from us explaining that she could not have her sun blocked. And I sat buried in my usual pondering on the only person that ever came across my mind.  
  
"Ugh!"  
  
I was knocked out of my train of thought suddenly. I looked up to see a fuming Misty, her hair color matching her temper. I cast my head downward trying to hide the blush forming on my cheeks as I saw her there in her skimpy bikini, not that I was complaining, however. She angrily threw down a bottle of sun tan lotion and ripped off the sunglasses she had on. I arched an eyebrow at her and asked the obvious question; "Something wrong?"  
  
"Two hours I lie baking in the sun practically drenched in ulta-sensitive- ultra-protecting-ulta-whatever sun block, thinking that maybe I could get the slightest bit of a tan, and what do I get? Burnt!"   
  
She forced me to look at the slight reddening on her shoulders. Her overdramatic explanation was finished by a loud, annoyed sigh as she crossed her arms, pouted, and seated herself next to me. Typical Misty, making a big deal over something as little as getting a tan. Then again, it was the little things like her tendency to overreact, that made her who she was, and made me love her even more.  
  
"Sorry," I flatly apologized showing an unemotional sense of sympathy to her "problem".  
  
"Sorry isn't going to make me un-pale, Ash!" She was mad now, I could tell. The fire in her eyes, the snappy comment as a response from my unenthusiastic one, it was all something I had been very well accustomed with. I sighed, ringing out my t-shirt in some attempt to get cool.  
  
Brock snickered from his position near us. He always laughed when she was yelled at me; I guess he found things like this amusing for some odd reason. Secretly, I think he had an idea of what I felt for her, and I suppose watching us fight was a bit ironic do to the opposite feelings I had for her.  
  
"It's not fair," Misty dragged her words out, whining. "Brock's tan, I wanna be tan too."  
  
"Well, I wanna be at a photo shoot for this magazine, but we can't always get everything we want can we?" Brock spoke up for the first time.  
  
I looked at my male friend suspiciously. "Dude, I thought that was Breeder's Weekly."  
  
He bit his lip, obviously busted. "Uhh..."  
  
Misty, being the ever so confident one strode over to Brock. He held the magazine to his chest but gave in when she pried it from his fingers... "Nah, it's porn," she informed me, thrusting the magazine back in his face after glancing at it.  
  
"I'm not surprised," I smirked.  
  
"Oh, shut up," he muttered at me. Misty laughed and I soon joined in. It was always fun teasing him, and it was even more enjoyable knowing that it was something Misty and I had fun doing together. I did feel bad for him at times though, it wasn't his fault that he was perverted and girl obsessed. Well, maybe it was but that's beside the point.  
  
"Yo, when are we leaving for today?" Misty inquired suddenly while reaching into her bag and getting out a t-shirt and shorts. I was somewhat relieved when she pulled them over her body, if my heart beat any faster from the sight of her in a bikini I was going to drop dead. She laced up her sneakers, getting ready for the usual walk ahead. She ran a hand through her hair and rolled the waistline of her shorts up, apparently they 'weren't short enough.'  
  
I shrugged my shoulders emotionlessly at her question; I was caught up in one of my moments. One of the moments when her beauty simply baffled me and being anywhere near her made me nervous as hell.  
  
  
  
"You guys pack up we'll leave soon, I'm just going to, um..." I began to stutter once again losing my grip on reality. Oh, why did she have to stare at me with those eyes? ".. I'm going to go sit by the water for a little while."  
  
  
  
I noticed the impending glances exchanged between the two of them. "Have fun," Misty told me, somewhat confusedly.  
  
I nodded and began to walk off in the other direction. I sighed, this really was lame. No, not lame more like utterly pathetic. Here I was, Ash Ketchum, the person who had been able to achieve the title of Pokemon Master at 16 years old and I was not even able to be within 10 feet of my best friend without breaking into a sweat. I didn't know why she made me so nervous, maybe because it was the fact that I held such passion for her and yet she had no idea and just went about her everyday routine. I didn't seem fair that she could be so calm when my thoughts consisted of nothing put her. It honestly was sad... but it was love.  
  
I plopped a seat down on the grass, overlooking the edge of the island. The summer ocean swayed back and forth in waves, it was nice to be back on an island again. Over the six months my life consisted of nothing but work. Who knew becoming a master would become such a big responsibility? Our journey was not over though, there were still many wild Pokemon for me to discover and gather information about. It was what I liked to do and I didn't want that to end because I had finally accomplished my dream. I was more than thrilled when I was asked to start my traveling again with none other than Misty and Brock accompanying me.  
  
  
  
The whole atmosphere reminded me of the times about 4 years ago I spent with Misty and Tracey on the Orange Islands. Tracey. I did miss him at times like this. It had been nice to spend so much time with all 3 of my best friends for so long; I never really spent that much time with the 4 of us all together. When it came down to it all, though, I had to admit I was closer with Brock and I did feel more comfortable with him accompanying me than Tracey.  
  
  
  
Sometimes I wondered why I was closer with Brock. Maybe it was because I had known him longer and spent more time with him... but then there existed more real of a reason. He knew. He knew about me and Misty. He knew about my unrequited love for her and how hard it was for me to keep it all bottled inside. And the funny thing was... that I had never mentioned a word of it to him. They say some people have certain understandings with one another and I guess that's what Brock and I or like. He could tell what how I felt just from witnessing me look at her to know. He never directly confronted me about it and I was grateful for that. There were the occasional teasing he gave me but I was used to them by now. Whenever anyone suggested anything between me and Misty or that I had feelings for her I did the only thing I could... I denied it.   
  
  
  
As much as it hurt and how hard it was to speak the complete opposite of my emotions... it was the only thing I knew how to do. I had been lying about my feelings for Misty for so long that when someone ever questioned us... denying it came as an instinct. Sure, it pained me to lie... but it would pain me even more to lose her completely. I had come to the conclusion that I would rather have her as a friend, than not have her as all.  
  
A refreshing sea breeze passed through the air causing the grass I was sitting on to sway slightly. I sighed, leaning back on my elbows... why did love have to be so complicated? I could sit for hours at a time, compensating and weighing out the possibilities of Misty liking me back. I was never able to draw a conclusion though; she was just so confusing at times that I had no idea what she felt for me.  
  
I was knocked out of my train of thought all of a sudden. A high pitched scream filled the air and I literally felt the color draining from my face. The scream had come from Misty without a doubt, and my breath was becoming shorter as panic began to run through my body. I was about to prop myself to my feet when I sensed that another person was near. An essence of someone not so familiar dawned over me. I was in the process of turning to see who it was when an immense crushing pain came smashing down on the back of my head. That was the last thing I remembered before my world went black.  
  
TBC  
  
--  
  
A/N: Well, do you like it so far? I know that they may seem a little OOC but it all ties in with the story. I had a reason for making Ash sound more even-tempered and mellow while Misty was the perky and upbeat one. I know that it might seem that Ash is a tad obsessive and Misty is kind of oblivious and superficial, but that is mostly only in this chapter. So please don't write them off as being OOC because remember, this does take place in the future. Review and you are my new best friend =)  
  
Oh, and btw, please help with the codes for italics and other formatting! =) 


	3. Rude Awakenings

CHAPTER 2 Rude Awakenings  
  
--  
  
A slither of light somehow found its way to reach my eyes. They opened slowly and blearily everything came into focus as my sight adjusted and pupils dilated to the change in light. I felt my body sprawled out on the hard floor I was lying on. Slowly, I began to sit myself up but an immense pain in the back of my head forced me back down.  
  
Previous memories flooded back to me. Sitting alone, Misty screaming, and being knocked unconscious. Panic overwhelmed me and my adrenaline forced me to ignore the pain and sit up. I looked over to see Brock stirring beside me. Half of my chest filled with relief but the other half was still filled with dread. I looked, holding my breath to catch a glimpse of Misty, praying that nothing had happened to her. My search ceased along with my nervousness when an angry voice filled the air.  
  
"Where the hell are we?!"  
  
I let out a grateful sigh as I turned to see my favorite redhead approaching me, fuming as usual. "I have absolutely no clue," I sighed, nervousness creeping up on me once again. I began to feel scared; here we were kidnapped in some unknown place with no defense mechanisms, being rendered totally helpless.  
  
"What was the last thing you guys remember?" Brock questioned groggily, standing up to join us.  
  
"I don't know, someone just crept up behind me and knocked me out," Misty answered.  
  
"Me too," I told him.  
  
Brock sighed, running a hand through his hair. "That makes three of us." We sighed in defeat, terror invading all of us now.  
  
"I don't understand," I muttered. "Who did this? Why would somebody kidnap us, what could they possibly want?"  
  
"It's quite simple, kid..." We immediately whirled around at the sound of another voice. About four people stood there, all dressed in black jumpsuits with the letter 'R' imprinted on them. "...we want you."  
  
"Team Rocket?" I heard Brock question under his breath. I looked around and two of the faces became familiar of ones we had run across one time or another.  
  
"Ash look..." Misty whispered to me. I did as she said and my eyes widened as I recognized the people. "It's Cassidy and Butch." Cassidy overheard her and smiled sinisterly.  
  
"Glad to see you haven't forgotten us," she sneered.  
  
"We're not exactly people you can afford to forget," Butch added in his raspy voice in a somewhat threatening tone. I felt Misty grab a hold of my arm and move slightly behind me.  
  
"What do you want from us?" I sternly asked again, trying to hide the tremor in my voice. As scared as I was I knew I had to put on a brave front, as the natural leader of the group, Misty was shaking behind me in fear and Brock didn't seem any better.  
  
"Well, well, well..." A booming voice interrupted me suddenly. I looked up to see a figure approaching the rest of us from the shadows. As his face came into view I could have sworn I had seen him somewhere before. He had black hair like mine and his red jacket was a sharp contrast to it. I could not put my finger on it but somehow I felt as if I had known this man my entire life. "It's nice to finally properly meet your acquaintance... Ashton."  
  
I flinched slightly at the mention of my full name. How could he have known it? But then again it could have just been an assumption. I cleared my throat. "How do you know my name?"  
  
He laughed and I felt myself quiver within. He walked over to me so we were only inches apart. I looked up to meet his eyes and it was as if they an almost demonic glare coming from the. "My boy, I know things about you that you don't even know about yourself."  
  
My breath got caught in my throat as he chuckled once more. I was not liking the sound of this and it was beginning to sound worse and worse by the minute. My brain was telling me that he was just trying to mess with my head and confuse me, but I felt somewhere deep in my heart that I had some sort of connection to the man... and not in a good way.  
  
His eyes moved from me and he darted them to beside me. "Now, what do we have here?" he questioned. I turned to see that he was speaking to Misty who, although I knew was trembling with fear, kept her stern gaze with him somewhat angrily.   
  
He sighed in what sounded to be sarcastic sympathy before looking her up and down. "What a pretty little thing you are... it is a shame that you're stuck in here." He ran a lone finger down her cheek and towards her neck; she angrily slapped his hand away as he started moving it lower. A sultry expression came to his face as he leaned over and whispered in her ear lowly but the words were still heard by me. "I'll be getting myself a piece of you later."  
  
A surge of anger suddenly awakened in me. He had no right to speak to her in such a degrading way like she was inanimate or a possession. I felt Misty's quaking form press into to me more and I moved in front of her protectively.  
  
"Leave us alone," I told him icily, trying my hardest to sound firm but he just laughed in mockery.  
  
"I don't think so," he replied. "Jessie! James! Will you morons get out here?" he called across the room behind me.  
  
I slowly turned behind me at the mention of the familiar names and sure enough there were Jessie and James standing behind us. I couldn't help the feeling of betrayal taking me over. We had known them for years and up until about two months ago, we did not go a week without seeing them at least once. We had not had any recent encounters with them recently and that was somewhat strange. I did feel I had some sort of bond with them and should be grateful for all the times they had helped us. Some sort of weird friendship existed between us and I did not believe that they actually could have turned their backs so much so quickly. I shot them a look of disbelief silently and I was surprised to see them both cast their heads downward in what looked like guilt.   
  
"Get rid of them," the man uttered coolly.   
  
Before I could react I saw Jessie approach me from behind and clamp a rag over my mouth. The scent of it immediately jogged my senses and I felt myself losing consciousness once again as the poisoned substance was inhaled. However, I still heard Jessie's distinct words whispered into my ear; "I'm sorry, twerp."  
  
I peered over to see what was happening to Misty and Brock but before I could get a glimpse of them my vision was compromised as an induced sleep came over me once more.  
  
--  
  
"Hey, hey, come on, man, wake up."  
  
I groggily opened my eyes at the sound of Brock's barley audible whispers beside me. My vision blurrily came into view once more and I turned to face him. It was then I realized that we were both tied to chairs without hands behind our backs. "Oh, shit," I muttered, once seeing the atmosphere I was in.  
  
"You okay?" he asked me. I felt a warm sticky substance drip down my face and I came to the conclusion that there was a large, bleeding gash on my forehead.  
  
"Ow," I winced. "I'm fine, what about you?"  
  
"I'm..." he abruptly stopped talking at the sound of two other voices nearby. We both remained silent, straining to listen.  
  
"Are you sure about this, Jess?"  
  
"We can't do this to the twerps, not after everything we've been through with them."  
  
"But the boss..."  
  
"He doesn't have to know. I can't live with myself knowing that we were the cause of their deaths. The boss has gone too far this time and it's up to us to stop him."  
  
"I hope you're right..."  
  
"I know I'm right... and I know that you know that I'm right too."  
  
Brock and I immediately knew who was speaking. "Jessie? James?" I whispered, struggling to turn my head but found myself unable to do the ropes restraining me.  
  
"Shh, don't talk," Jessie immediately hushed me. I didn't say anything and I soon felt a pair of hands undoing the ropes that bound me to the chair. Brock and I both stood as we were free and turned to face them.  
  
"All right what the hell is going on?" Brock asked them suddenly, breaking the silence.  
  
"Okay, cliff-notes version..." James started. He opened his mouth to speak again but Jessie abruptly cut him off.  
  
"Our leader wants you guys dead," she stated bluntly.  
  
"Why?" Brock inquired.  
  
"He's sees you as a threat he's been planning to off you guys for years."  
  
"Woah, he wants to 'off us'? As in kill us?" I asked, my shock overtaking my fear.  
  
"Yeah, and he's not fighting with any Pokemon. He's using real weapons now, you don't have a chance," James continued to explain.  
  
"Okay, so what are you just trying to rub this in our faces before you send us to our deaths?" Brock queried bitterly.  
  
"No, we're trying to save you," Jessie told him.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Look, I know we've put you three through a lot of shit over the years with your Pokemon but we're not murderers, and we can't let him go through with this."  
  
"How do we know you're telling the truth? You've been after us for so long, why suddenly help us out now?"  
  
"Because we know that this is wrong!" Jessie exclaimed, becoming exasperated.  
  
"Really? Now, there's a shocker. And all those times you've tried to steal our Pokemon and destroyed countless numbers of buildings and hurt innocent people, were right?"  
  
The words of Jessie and Brock's heated argument suddenly became unimportant to me. My eyes removed themselves from them and darted around the room searching every corner. My breath got caught in my throat as an epiphany hit me.  
  
"Brock," I said quietly, tugging his sleeve. My words went unnoticed by him for he was too busy arguing with Jessie.  
  
"Just because we've known you for years doesn't mean we're going to trust you now!" he sneered at her.  
  
"Brock," I said again.  
  
"Fine, don't ask for my help and you and Ash can stay here and die," Jessie retorted to him.  
  
"Brock!" I raised my voice and finally got his attention. He turned to me.  
  
"Ash, what is it?"  
  
"Misty's not here." He looked around the room quickly for any signs of her before the same realization dawned on him.  
  
"Shit," I heard James mutter under his breath. Brock and I both averted our attention to him.  
  
"What?" I inquired slowly, dread filling my voice.  
  
"There's no time to explain, just follow us and be quiet," Jessie informed quickly as her and James began to walk off into the direction of a dark corridor.  
  
"No, explain," I demanded firmly, grabbing Jessie's arm. She sighed and turned to me. I couldn't just go off following them. I had to know what they knew. I had to know if Misty was okay.  
  
"I don't know what happened all I know is that we have to find her before there is anymore damage done to her that probably has already been."  
  
I gulped. "D-damage?" I stammered. My heart nearly skipped a beat at her words and the most horrid thoughts of Misty lying helpless somewhere in this unknown headquarters ran through my mind.  
  
James sighed. "We hope not, but as Jessie said we don't know what has happened for her but he need to find her quick."  
  
"So, we're going to need you to trust and listen to us..." Jessie firmly explained. ... if you want to see your friend again."  
  
Brock and I nodded in agreement, not completely convinced, but still understanding at the moment in fear of Misty's safety. The two Rockets lead us down the dark corridor, and I held a silent prayer in the back of my head the entire time.  
  
--  
  
A/N: Yes, I know not very original, overdone plot. but I don't care ;) I am not good with coming up with completely original ideas and I am trying my hardest to make this my own. Most Team Rocket capture stories are usually focused in on the action and drama but I am using all of that as some what of a side plot to Ash's inner turmoil. Ash's emotions are the main story and in my opinion I think approaching all of this in his eyes is maybe a somewhat different approach from what I have read in the past. You probably can guess about Giovanni already and I know that has been done as well. However, I am going to try my hardest to get in depth with Ash and his feelings through every experience he encounters along with the action. I have read stories with similar ideas and mostly, I have read ones in the usual 3rd person POV mainly focusing on the action. That is not what I am trying to do here. So, please do not write me off for being unoriginal because as the story goes on I will try my hardest to let my own style of writing gain its own originality through the fic. Okay, that's enough of my little speech, R+R please =) 


	4. Discoveries of Devastation

CHAPTER 3 Discoveries of Devastation  
  
Ash/Misty-17.Brock-19.Jessie/James/Cassidy/Butch-21.Giovanni-40+  
  
--  
  
"You're stepping on my foot!" I exclaimed again as James' heel came in contact with my toe for the third time. He and Jessie led closely in front of Brock and I, trying to make it down the dark hall.  
  
"Deal with it, twerp, we're doing this for you," Jessie retorted in his defense. I didn't respond, for it was the truth.  
  
"Are you sure she's not..." I began to question once more, trailing off, unable to utter the unthinkable.  
  
"For the millionth time, we don't know," she informed me once again and I sighed in defeat.  
  
James, noticing my worry, spoke up suddenly. "You really are worried about her, aren't you?" he inquired.  
  
"Well, obviously, he is in love with the girl," Jessie commented nonchalantly and I suddenly felt my cheeks go hot even in the situation we were in. I opened my mouth, preparing to deny my feelings once more.  
  
"What? I do not..." I began to protest.  
  
"Save it, Ash, the denial approach really getting old," Brock told me and I looked at him surprisingly for commenting upon his suspicions for the first time.  
  
"But I don't..." I continued to protest; ignoring what he said and turned to Jessie in disbelief. "And how do you..?"  
  
"Oh, come on, we've been watching you two for years... it's not exactly something you can hide anymore," James answered for her.  
  
I stared at him incredulously, not believing what I was hearing. I turned and Jessie began to make another comment as she flipped a strand of long hair over her shoulder. "So does she feel the same say?" she inquired.  
  
"I..." I started to say something but my words came out jumbled.  
  
"I think she does, but this dumb-ass over here is too chicken shit to risk it," Brock cut me off getting a dirty look from me in return.  
  
"I say, 'if you're not willing to risk it all... you don't want it bad enough'," Jessie remarked.  
  
"Yeah," James agreed quietly.  
  
I didn't say anything more because something suddenly just caught my attention. I could have sworn I saw James steal a glance at Jessie as he murmured his last words. I did notice the way he acted around her, was somewhat familiar to the way I was around Misty and I was almost certain I had witnessed her acting the same around him as well.  
  
I had gotten to become familiar with Jessie and James over the years and I had noticed that there was definitely a case of a hidden love that was existing between them. I smirked to myself, thinking how coincidental it was.  
  
We walked in silence for the next few minutes. The silence was broken suddenly as two voices were heard somewhere in the distance. Brock opened his mouth to comment but James clamped a hand over it, silencing him. Jessie peeked around a corner and I caught a slight glimpse of two figures dressed in black discussing something.  
  
"Shit, it's Cassidy and Butch," she whispered to us.  
  
"Okay, you two keep going, we'll hold them off," James said hurriedly. I nodded, feeling somewhat unprotected however, it being only Brock and I on a search for Misty. The two of them scampered off in the other direction. I turned to Brock and we exchanged understanding glances as we began to continue down the empty corridor.  
  
"If we get out of here alive, you're giving me your Onix," I muttered to Brock after about another ten minutes of walking by ourselves.  
  
"If we get out of here alive, I'll give you the entire rock species," he retorted. I let out a small chuckle but was soon immediately brought back to the reality of the situation we were in. "Let's just hope that we do," he spoke seriously.  
  
"Right," I agreed, sighing heavily.  
  
"We should be near the end of the corridor now, where else could she be?" he wondered allowed, changing the subject back to Misty.  
  
"I have no idea I..." my voice trailed off never finishing the thought I was about to speak.  
  
All words left my mouth suddenly and Brock's next sentence was not heard... The world seemed to stop at that moment, leaving me frozen in the one second that time was in. An overwhelming feeling of panic and dread filled me once more as I spotted the motionless figure lying on the other end on the corridor, in a small opening of a room. Misty.  
  
Somehow, even in my shocked state, my shaky legs managed to rush me over to her. I heard Brock muttering; "Oh, God," before the numbing that was overtaking my body reached my ears so no other words anyone spoke could be comprehended. The rising of fear and panic that filled me as I glanced at her limp form from a distance, was replaced by a pang in my chest. All I had to do was take one close up look of the girl I loved before my heart ripped in a million pieces.  
  
I had been able to tell from several feet away that she was injured, but the reality of seeing her just lying there, unmoving, was sickening. Bruises and cuts covered her arms and legs. Her clothing ripped and stained with blood in several places and her red tresses lay tousled and messy. Her face, although still beautiful, had been marred. She had a black eye and the other one was also beginning to swell. Scrapes and gashes lined her cheeks and her lip was split... all of which had been a result of what appeared to be a violent, torturous beating.  
  
I saw Brock's trembling hand move from his side to her neck. The breath I was holding in was released in utter relief as he gave me a reassuring nod after checking her pulse. She was alive... but she was hurt. Suddenly, I felt a rise of anger enter my body. I would kill whoever did this to her.  
  
"M-Misty." I muttered her name quietly, gently shaking her in an attempt to wake her. After several attempts her eyes fluttered open and she tried to move herself to sit. I felt the pain in my chest worsen as she almost instantly begun coughing and spluttering up blood right when she awoke. "Oh, Myst," I whispered, my voice shaky and full of emotion as I rubbed her back slightly and tried to ease her pain.  
  
"Hey," she greeted us after she had stopped coughing, forcing herself to weakly smile. "You should see the other guy," she joked feebly, wincing as Brock and I helped her up to sit and lean up against the wall behind her. "Are you both okay?"  
  
I sighed incredulously. Here, Misty was lying battered and bloody and she was making jokes and asking us if we were all right. It never ceased to amaze me how caring she was for others, always putting them before herself.  
  
"Myst, we're fine, that's the last thing you should be worried about," Brock told her, practically taking the words out of my mouth. The expression on her face suddenly changed to a serious one as if she had just come to a realization. She nodded, sighing slightly.  
  
"Can you stand?" I asked her warily. She nodded again and we both supported her as she tried to stand up. The second she was at her feet a cry of pain escaped her lips as she doubled over. Brock and I lowered her to the ground as she fell.  
  
"What's the mater? Where are you hurt?" I asked, my panic growing more by the second. She didn't say anything, her breath was rampant and tears had begun to well in her eyes. She hastily lifted her t-shirt slightly and I almost gauged at the reaction. Her stomach was completely black and blue and turning shades of sickly yellows and browns in some places.  
  
"Ash! Brock!" I heard someone yell in a strangled whisper. I turned to see Jessie and James approaching us from behind.  
  
"Oh, thank God you found... her," Jessie's voice trailed off as she caught a glimpse of Misty's appearance. They both reacted the same way as Brock and I had when he first saw her. "Oh my God..."  
  
"W-what are they doing here?" Misty spoke up, her voice cracking and tears streaming down her face as she struggled to speak.  
  
"Misty, they're here to help us," Brock calmly explained to her.  
  
"What? What the hell is the matter with you guys? This is Team Rocket we're talking about here. It's them two who have been trying to steal Pikachu and countless other things from us for the last seven years! And now you're trusting them with our lives?!" she cried out in disbelief.  
  
"Speaking of which where is that little electric mouse?" James inquired suddenly.  
  
"Pokemon Center with the all the other ones," I answered nonchalantly before coming to the realization that all of our Pokemon were probably wondering where we were.  
  
"We are not trying to hurt you," Jessie told her steadily, getting back on topic. "We're not a part of all this we never intended for any of this to happen, but now that it has we are going to help get you out of here."  
  
Misty's eyes narrowed. "How do we know this isn't just a trick?"  
  
"Because they've helped us before in the past," I reminded her as she averted her eyes towards me. "And if we don't let them help us this time we may never get out of here." She didn't respond and hung her head not making any further comment.  
  
"You just have to trust us," James added. Misty nodded her head, reluctantly agreeing to the situation seeing the importance in it. He then looked around the room and moved over to a ledge, pulling a medium sized box down from it.  
  
"Here," he said, handing me an ice-pack he had retrieved from the box, which apparently was a first aid kit. "Put it on her stomach it should help the bruising."  
  
Taking a deep breath I slowly and carefully placed it on the bruised area. I felt a wave of guilt come over me as she cried out in anguish anyway, gripping Brock's shirt to ease the pain. "I'm sorry, Myst," I whispered, my voice quivering as I did so. She broke into sobs as I pressed the cold object to her stomach once more. "I'm sorry," I apologized again.   
  
It was killing me to see her like this, even more so because it was me who was hurting her in the process of trying to help her. Her breath became less rampant and calmer as she adjusted to the coldness. She averted her gaze to me, bringing her tear-filled aqua eyes to my brown ones. "Ash," she choked out, whimpering slightly.  
  
"Shh, it's okay, you're okay now," I assured her, running my hand through her crimson locks in an attempt to comfort her.  
  
"No, I'm not, you don't understand..." I opened my mouth to ask her a question but she had already buried her face in my chest, in full-fledge sobs. Usually, I was completely self-conscious to her touch but this time it was different. My worry for her overpowered my own personal feelings, and I wrapped my arms around her as she cried. "God..." she murmured, before breaking away from me and hanging her head low. "I knew your first time was supposed to hurt, but I never thought it'd hurt that much," she remarked, adding a bitter laugh in vain at the end before biting her lip as tears filled her eyes again.  
  
I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. I noticed Brock and James going pale and Jessie gasping and moving a hand to her mouth. The room began to sway gently, the walls pulsating and a distinct hum ringing in my ears. My breathing stopped momentarily and my heartbeat pulsed against my temples. I couldn't draw my eyes away from Misty's trembling form and as I looked downcast, my breath got caught in my throat. Blood trailed down her legs mostly from the area of the inside of her thighs. Anger built up in me even stronger than it had before. I had been enraged when I found Misty, beaten, but to now discover that she had been violated in such a way pushed me over the edge. She had been taken to the point that her mind, body, and spirit could be damaged without ever fully recovering. She was the most loving and caring person I knew and was the last who deserved to me abused so horribly.  
  
I opened my mouth and a rush of air escaped my lungs, managing only to softly say, "Misty," It was barely recognizable as a whisper but filled to its limit with empathy and comfort. No other words could have portrayed my feelings at that moment and no other reaction would have been appropriate.  
  
She hung her head lower, as if somewhat ashamed for what had happened. I slowly placed my hand on her forearm, stroking it gently as a sign of comfort. She looked at me gratefully and the tiniest smiles came to her face. The deathly silence was broken softly by Jessie.  
  
"Misty, who was it?" she questioned gently.  
  
"The one in the red coat," Misty answered, her voice quivering. I noticed Jessie and James exchange impending glances.  
  
"What?" Brock asked, noticing their expressions as well.  
  
"That's Giovanni, the boss of Team Rocket, he runs the whole organization," James explained.  
  
"He's the one who's been putting us up after you for all these years," Jessie added.  
  
"W-why?" Misty queried, stammering.  
  
"Who knows? Probably because every time anyone has tried to destroy you three or your Pokemon you've been able to stop it, and he doesn't want you interfering with his plans."  
  
"There's no more time to tell you the rest, we have to get out of here before he comes back," James said quickly.  
  
"Right," I agreed quietly, speaking for the first time. Misty was able to remain on her feet as she leaned on Brock and I to help her.  
  
"Too late."  
  
The cold voice sent shivers down my spine. I looked up, although already knowing who had spoken. There he was, standing with the same sinister smirk he had on his face before... Giovanni.  
  
I moved myself away from Misty, letting Brock support her fully, and slowly approached Giovanni, shooting daggers in his eyes the whole time. "You..." I muttered towards him, rage and anger I never imagined possible, colored my words distinctively.  
  
He snorted slightly, grinning coolly and portraying a pretend wince of nervousness. "Don't we seem a little mad?" he teased, averting his words to me and forcing my anger to grow even more at the same time as I began to speak.  
  
"I don't know who you are or why you see us as such a threat. But I do know that you have to be the lowest creature on the earth that I have ever come across in my entire life. You had no reason to capture me and my friends nor did you ever have any reason to screw with us in the first place. We never did anything to you, and excuse me if defending myself accounts for me fucking up your 'plans'," my voice grew more and more sinister as I talked to him, and even more hatred filled my next words as I spoke coolly. "I promise we'll stay out of your way if you just let us go, but if you ever lay a finger on any of us again.. I swear to God it will be the last thing you do."  
  
I was surprised even at how biting my tone was. I had meant to be firm but I didn't know that I could actually speak with such vehemence. He deserved it, though. Here was the man who had been responsible for all of our pain and suffering over the years. He had hurt Misty in the most brutal way imaginable and he would take every harsh word I threw at him. I had expected him to laugh at me again, for he was unfazed by my seriousness. But nothing could have ever prepared me for what he said next for it shocked me to the very core and made my soul tremble in fear.  
  
"Now, Ash, is that any way to talk to your father?"  
  
TBC  
  
--  
  
A/N: Yes, I know, I know it lacks originality, but I'm trying my hardest here ;) Next chapter will be up soon, please review and make me happy =)  
  
and also.. PLEASE EXPLAIN IN REVIEWS OR EMAIL ME ABOUT THE CODES FOR ITALICS, BOLD AND OTHER FORMATTING. =) 


	5. Courageous, Captured, and Caged

**CHAPTER 4 Courageous, Captured and Caged  
**  
_Ash/Misty-17.Brock-19.Jessie/James/Cassidy/Butch-21.Giovanni-40+_**  
**  
--  
  
The room was swaying again and my vision had become temporarily blurred. Giovanni's previous words repeated themselves in my mind over and over again but still, I was not able to comprehend what he had just said to me. I stared him, surprised to find that his brown eyes matched mine. I tried not to sound as shaky and taken aback as I was when I questioned him.  
  
"W-What?" I asked, wondering if I had heard him right. I silently prayed that it was just my ears playing tricks on me.  
  
"My boy, I know you are very well aware of the circumstances of your birth. Isn't that right?" he questioned me coolly.  
  
My blood ran cold as he spoke. Yes, I was familiar with the way I had been born. Far too familiar for my own good. I knew how I had came to be, my mother informed me of it when I was only nine because she believed that I was old enough to understand the truth. I was able to comprehend her words much more as I grew and it has been a battle that I had been fighting with myself for as long as I could remember.  
  
There had been times where I doubted my existence. There had been times where I considered myself as nothing as a pathetic bastard child whom never should have come into the world and as the cause for all my mother's pain and suffering. I did accept the fact that I was conceived by rape, and it was quite a shock to the few who I had told.  
  
When I told Misty and Brock around the age of 14 they had both been stunned and extremely distraught at the same time. They did not abandon me as I feared they would but I was grateful that they were now always people I could go to whenever the touchy subject arose.  
  
I was able to get passed my thoughts of shame that I held for myself as I grew. I soon learned and listened to my family and friends as they told me that I was a blessing and I should never doubt the person I had become. Words that I heard so long ago, I now fall back on as a reminder.  
  


"_The circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are."  
  
_I did believe it and every time I had ever run across the horrid thoughts that occasionally ran through my mind; I simply remembered who I was and who I had become.  
  
But this time it was different.  
  
I was facing the man who was claiming to be the reason I had came to life. The man whom without I would have never stepped foot onto the earth. However, he was also the man who had hurt Mom, Misty, and the man who was trying to hurt me right now.  
  
My father.  
  
"I... you... how... I..." my words became jumbled as I tried to speak. I could not get a proper sentence to form in my mouth, I could not release any shouts of denying the fact and that everything this man was insinuating was a lie... because I knew it wasn't. I had felt some sort of strange connection to Giovanni when I first lay eyes on him, and now I knew the sickening truth of why.  
  
"Don't try to speak, son," he suggest towards me, smirking, and I instantly cringed at him referring to me as his son. "It'll take time for it all to sink in; you may want to think about this information for a while." My mouth ran dry again and I could not find a single retort to leave my lips.   
  
Giovanni then averted his sadistic gaze towards Jessie and James, who were standing beside Brock and Misty. "And as for you two and your pathetic attempt at a betrayal..." he started, glaring at them evilly and I saw them both gulp and cower in fear. He then reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a small remote-control like device. He scanned the object before pressing a particular button on it, smiling at us eerily as he did so.  
  
Suddenly, it felt as if nothing were under my feet to hold me up. My eyes widened as I glanced down to see the portion of the floor that Misty, Brock, Jessie, James and I were standing on had disappeared. I shout of terror escaped my throat as well as everyone else's as we began to fall.  
  
I felt myself land on the hard floor underneath with a thud and soon the others fell beside me, wincing in pain. I struggled to scramble to my feet but as I did so a large, metal cage-like object was released, trapping the five of us inside. It reminded me slightly of all the times Jessie and James tried to capture us in cages along with the other numerous contraptions they came had come up with over the years.   
  
A sadistic, bemused chuckling came to my attention. I looked up to see Giovanni standing at the edge of where the floor stopped, looking down at us. "Well, I gave you what you wanted," he spoke matter-of-factly, directing his words towards Jessie and James. "If the two of you want to be treated like heroes... it is only appropriate that you be caged like them too." A cruel smile formed on his lips as he finished, pleased with his actions.  
  
"You stupid son of a bitch," Jessie sneered at him bitterly.  
  
"I wouldn't use that of language if I were you, Jessie, dear," Giovanni retorted, a threatening tone evident in his voice. "Just because I'm up here, doesn't mean I can't go right down there and blow your out your pretty brains and let them splatter all over the place."   
  
Jessie gulped at his words and immediately shut her mouth. He grinned triumphantly and then redirected his gaze towards mine. "And as for you, my boy..." he started. I clenched my fist in rage at his addressing towards me once again, shooting him a death glare. "...I'll deal with you later."  
  
My cold stare remained until Giovanni hit another but on the controller, forcing the floor above us to go back into its prior positioning. I exhaled deeply as soon as my image of him was gone but then worry enveloped me as I came to the realization of our situation.  
  
"Uh oh," Brock murmured nervously, glancing around at the metal cage bars while James shook them to test the sturdiness. I swallowed the lump in my throat, trying to lighten my uneasiness but it did not change the surroundings we were in. We were trapped.

--

"Ow, watch it!" I exclaimed in annoyance as James continued to wipe the blood from my forehead. He smirked, placing another bloodied cloth to the side.  
  
"Well, excuse me for trying to help you," he remarked sourly.   
  
I bit my lip and gave him an apologetic glance. I knew I should have been acting grateful towards James. Him and Jessie had saved our lives and put their own at risk in the process, but I still couldn't help being edgy. After the news I had just learned, my irritability had become like a reflex. James looked back at me understandingly and then finished cleaning my cut.  
  
"I stopped the bleeding mostly but you probably need stitches," he commented towards me once he was done. I nodded and began to scramble to my feet and glanced around at the others. Jessie was cleaning up Brock, who, like me, had mostly minor injuries. My eyes fell onto Misty who was seated by herself near the corner of the cage.  
  
A pang filled my chest as I looked at my best friend's emotionally crippled state. She had refused to let anyone help tend to her wounds although she was the one who probably needed help the most. She remained sitting with a bottle of rubbing alcohol in her hands as she tried to clean her own cuts and bruises. I slowly and hesitantly began to approach her but every stride I stopped, thoughts running through my mind.  
  
I hadn't spoken to Misty since we had fallen and been captured, my fear of what she felt for me now scared me more than anything. It had been my father, my own flesh and blood... and my own responsibility who had bestowed such a vile act upon her. Panic invaded me at the possibility that she could hate me because of it, technically, I was part of who had done this to her.  
  
I looked towards Misty's direction, noticing her wincing as she struggled to reach a wound near her shoulder-blade. I ignored my previous thoughts and fears at the moment and as if on instinct I knelt down by her side. Her trembling increased as I removed the alcohol-soaked cloth from her hand and cleaned the wound on my own but she did not protest. It surprised me, she had been so dead set on not letting anyone else help her and now when I tried she did not attempt to stop me.  
  
"A-Ash," Misty suddenly stammered, breaking the awkward silence with her shaky voice.  
  
"Yeah?" I questioned in a similar tone. I bit my lip, looking down at her in sympathy as I continued to wipe one of the large gashes that rose up on her creamy skin.  
  
"I'm so sorry." Her words came out strangled, accompanied by a sob.   
  
"About what?" I asked, warily, unsure of what she was going to say next.  
  
"About your dad."  
  
I froze at her previous statement and my actions to a halt as moved around to face her. "W-what?" I inquired quietly. My words had a tremor as I spoke them, I was dreading hearing any of the views she possibly was going to express to me next. It was just all too much to bear, and it would be much easier for me to focus on helping tend to Misty than to be confronted by her with sympathy.  
  
"Oh, God, Ash," she sobbed out again. She moved her hand to her mouth momentarily as tears streamed down her cheeks, but soon removed it and cleared her throat, beginning to speak again. "I know how you've wondered for so long about the identity of your father, and as horrible of a person that he is, I know that somewhere inside you had to have wanted to meet him."  
  
"It's okay, Myst," I murmured in a barley audible tone. I hung my head downcast, not wanting to meet her pained gaze. She was completely right and I did not want to have to see her distraught over me.   
  
"No, it's not okay!" Misty retorted in defense. "Every person should have the opportunity to know their father at one point of another... and now," she sniffled before going on. "And now that you finally have met him... look at whom he's turned out to be? Look at what he's done..." She broke off into tears again as she was reminded of his actions.  
  
I had to fight breaking down myself Misty finished speaking. It truly was amazing that she had been able to portray exactly what I comprehended inside my confused mind at the moment. But it still hurt more than anything when I heard someone else speak the words of my feelings that rang so true. I had known birth father was a bad man, but I had never in my wildest dreams he could turn out to be Team Rocket's leader, let alone have been intending to destroy the own life he created for years. I gazed over and watched Misty as her shoulders shook from both crying, and what seemed to be a traumatic effect of the events that had taken place before. I gulped, swallowing the lump in my throat and blinked back the tears that threatened. We couldn't be worrying about me and my issues with my twisted bastard of a father. We had more important things to worry about; like our lives.  
  
I rested my hand on Misty's quaking forearm and glanced at her with a stare of comfort. She looked back at me, her eyes showing the same sympathetic expression they had before. "I'm fine, Misty. Don't worry about me, we have more important things to worry about at the moment," I suggested towards her.  
  
"How can you say that?" she asked me, gently and incredulously.  
  
I sighed sadly. "Don't get yourself all worked up over this. I'll handle it. You've just been through... an extreme about of physical and emotional pain..." I regretted my words as soon as they left my mouth when I saw Misty breathe in, reeling from my words and closing her eyes briefly as if to block out what I had said.  
  
"I know," she whispered, barley audibly. "But Ash..." she started again, speaking louder. "None of that even compares to what you must be feeling inside right now."  
  
I took deep consideration into her words, weighing out the truth in them. I thought back to what I had witnessed about an hour ago, my first meeting with my father, face-to-face. And also, the first meeting with the man who had been trying to destroy my life and my dream for years. I hung my head low, biting my lip and forcing myself not to release any of the tears that had started to form.  
  
I then felt a small pressure on my hand and I looked to see Misty lightly resting hers upon it. I averted my gaze back up at her and our pained eyes met. Through her anguished glance, however, a small comforting smile of hope and comfort rested on her face. And, suddenly, I felt the tiniest bit of light shining through my nightmare.  
  
"We're screwed, you know."   
  
Our gentle moment was broken abruptly by a sarcastic, biting comment from Brock, who had stood up after Jessie finished cleaning his wounds. Misty and I looked up towards him and then back at each other. I began blushing as I noticed our touching hands and, embarrassed, I removed mine from her grasp. I stood up to my feet, helping Misty to stand afterwards before turning back to listen and indulge into what the other three were saying.  
  
"Not yet. There has to be a way to get out of here," James stated, determined, although I could see that he was trying to convince himself through his words as well.  
  
"Oh, and I'm sure you just happen to be carrying a saw with you that is capable of cutting through pure metal?" Jessie sarcastically questioned him, her patience obviously wearing thin.  
  
James sighed in defeat, his optimism diminishing. "Okay, now we're screwed."  
  
"Told you," Brock muttered sourly. An awkward silence suddenly fell upon the five of us and for the first time in my life, it was as if all hope for us was lost.  
  
"No," Misty suddenly spoke firmly, breaking the silence and diverting everyone's attention towards her. "No, I don't believe it. It can't end like this; we can't just give up... We've all been through so much together, with situations and traps far worse than this. What are you guys all just going to sit in here, awaiting death?" she queried bitterly towards the end.  
  
Jessie shrugged aimlessly, her emotionless expression the opposite from her usual bossy attitude. A surge of enthusiasm and realization dawned over me out of nowhere. Misty was completely right, there was no way that we could lose hope just like this. Through all my years of training, not once had I ever quit anything or lost hope. I fought as hard as I could until the very end; that was who I was, and just because a harsh piece of my past had been revealed, that did not change me or what I believed in.  
  
"Misty's right," I added in, now caught up in the determination from her words. "We have to do something, and I'll tell you what we're going to do... we are going to bust our asses out of here and then we are going to find Giovanni and kill him before he has the chance to kill us."   
  
Everyone, including myself, was surprised by my outburst. I had never actually commentated killing a human being; the idea of taking another's life was incomprehensible. But then again, here I was, awaiting death, and every bit of me was now suddenly capable of doing the previous... even if I would be killing my own father.  
  
"Ash..." Brock started slowly.   
  
I raised an eyebrow when he did not continue and waited patiently for him to go on. Brock bit his lip and stared at his feet, unable to get the words out. It was then I noticed what the situation had become. Brock, Jessie, James, and even Misty, were all avoiding eye contact with me, nervously and awkwardly glancing around.  
  
"Guys, what is it?" I inquired somewhat slowly as if afraid of their answer upon noticing their apparent discomfort.  
  
"Ash..." Brock started again, he took a deep breath, exchanging glances with the others before dreadfully continuing. "Are you sure that you'll be able to do that?" he carefully questioned me.  
  
"Of course, why wouldn't I?" I retorted back at him in disbelief and he once again tried to avoid staring me in the eye. "Look, at what this guy's done to us all these years, look at where he's keeping us right now." I thrust my hand about our surroundings. "Look at what he did to Misty," I sadly and quietly finished, causing Misty to lower her head as a result.  
  
"But, Ash, after all, he is..." Brock trailed off once more, unable to go on. I waited for him to continue, with less patience and more annoyance this time. He looked around at the others for support. "..your father," he tentatively finished. Everyone else remained silent, afraid to look at me once more, fearing my reaction.  
  
I sighed heavily, closing my eyes for a moment to block out the pain. "No, he's not," I spoke finally.  
  
"Ash, I know..." Jessie started but I abruptly cut her off. A startling realization came to my mind and I did not know if I should have felt guilty for thinking it at all.  
  


"Did you know?" I sharply questioned her, almost bitterly. Jessie shut her mouth and waited for me to continue. "Did you know this whole time the real reason he kept sending you two after me?"  
  
The room went silent at my assumption, everyone else shocked by what I was insinuating. I knew I should have had more faith in them; they had just betrayed their leader to help us and now would take the same fate. But still I had to know the truth. Jessie and James had been a part of Team Rocket for years, longer than they had known us. It was definitely a possibility that this whole time they had an idea all along and did know more about what they were leading on.  
  
"Ash," James answered instead of Jessie this time. I could see the sincerity and compassion in his eyes and my previous thoughts began to slowly slip away. "We had no idea. We knew that Giovanni had a son at one point but never did we think that it was you. We thought that all of this, everything just had to do with him wanting to capture Pikachu. We knew, however, that something else had to be behind this when he ordered that only you three be kidnapped and captured without your Pokemon, but it never occurred to us that it could be anything even remotely related to this."  
  
I only had to listen to James' heartfelt and honest words once before I was convinced. I had always known that they were good people and that killing was definitely not their style or something they were capable of. They both did seem pretty distraught by the fact that I actually was the son of their leader, and also by the fact that I had never known that he was.  
  
"Okay," I sighed heavily. My voice gained more steadiness and confidence in him as I continued. "I believe you." A relieved sigh escaped his lips as well as it did everyone else's.  
  
"All right, guys, it's great that we're all motivated to kick some ass here. But have we forgotten the minor detail that we're still, oh I don't know, trapped in a cage?" Brock finished sarcastically, his comment ruining the serenity of the moment.  
  
The sound of a door slamming came to my ears as well as everyone else's. We all turned to see a Team Rocket member, probably no older than Brock, enter the chamber we were secluded in. He did not speak a word but simply seated himself with a chair drumming his fingers on the sides. It was obvious he had been sent to guard us although he did seem pretty nervous about it. A smile formed on James' face as soon as he saw him.  
  
"What?" Jessie questioned, seeing the knowing grin form on his face.  
  
"I've got an idea," he calmly told her. His reassuring attitude seemed to convince all of us and we just quieted down and let him go on with whatever it was. "Psst, Aaron," James whispered to the guard. He turned at the sound of his name and quickly walked over to the cell but not before looking around as if to make sure no one was watching.  
  
"James, man, look I don't wanna have to keep you here but rules are rules... and you broke them," Aaron explained in a loud whisper, a slight trace of guilt evident in his firm words.  
  
"Aaron," James sighed loudly. He reached out through the bar and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Aaron, Aaron, Aaron," he sighed again. "Let's pretend the cards were turned and it was you in here." Aaron opened his mouth to protest but James silenced him with a halt of his hand. "Let's just pretend that I was the member guarding you. Now, maybe it would be defying Giovanni's orders but it also would be defying a very important Team Rocket rule."  
  
"What rule is that? I'm not as sure of all of them as you are I haven't been a part of this for as long," he explained confusedly.  
  
"The rule of staying loyal to your fellow members no matter what." The rest of us could tell that James was lying now but Aaron seemed to believe it. "And would it be very loyal for you to just leave me in here for my death?"  
  
"James..."  
  
"Come on, man." James tone had gone from persuasive to pleading. "Come on, Aaron, buddy you know I'd do the same thing for you if the situation was reversed."  
  
A dreading silence passed as Aaron rethought what he had just been informed of. A determined expression came to his face as if he was trying to refuse something. "No," he stated firmly.   
  
A defeated sigh escaped James' lips as well as it did mine. His face suddenly lit up, however, seemingly looking like he had just come up with a brilliant idea. James plastered an understanding expression on his face and looked towards Aaron.  
  


"Okay," he sighed understandingly. "It's okay, Aaron, I understand."  
  
"If I could do something about it I would but if I let you guys out but I can't. You know that the boss would have both of our heads."  
  
James nodded once more. "It's okay." He placed a reassuring hand on Aaron's shoulder. "At least I know that if I'm going to die, you did everything you could to stop it." Aaron nodded as well, a slight sympathetic grin on his face. He reached out to pat James' arm, displaying a sorrowful expression.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
An apologetic instead of compassionate tone took to James' voice as he spoke his next words. "I know... me too." Aaron opened his mouth to question him but James firmly planted his other hand on Aaron's other shoulder and as soon as he did so he pulled him from the outside against the metal bars smashing his head hard against it. Aaron cried out in pain and shock as he slumped to the floor, unconscious, blood gushing from the new wound on his head.  
  


All of our mouths dropped stunned and extremely impressed by James' very clever plan. He leaned down to where Aaron was sprawled out and reached through the bars pulling something from two of his pockets. A proud smile lit his face as he stood and turned back to us, dangling an object in each hand. A gun in the right and a shiny metal key ring in the left.  
  
My face formed into a wide grin as I came to the realization of what had happened. I strode over to James' side, smiling the whole time. "James," I sighed heavily, patting him on the back. "Let me just say... that you are one smart son of a bitch." He laughed at my impish remark and it seems as if almost for a moment that we were actually friends and all of the encounters in the past had been put behind us.  
  
"Well, thank you very much, twerp," he jokingly responded. The others soon strode to our side as James found the right key and inserted it in the lock that trapped us inside. It opened with no avail and we stepped out, a newfound courage enveloping us. We were one step closer to freedom.

--

_A/N: Once again I apologize for the horribly predictable and unoriginal plot ;) I started writing this story a long time ago and I do realize that it is totally overdone.  This is my first long fic and I am going to try to make the next one I do with more unique ideas.  However, I do want to finish what I have started and to anyone who is interested it may take a little while longer than the usual week that I upload chapters for this story.  Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, I greatly appreciate your support. =)_


	6. Plans in the Making and Lives in the Tak...

**CHAPTER 5 Plans in the Making and Lives in the Taking  
  
**

--

  
"God, this place is like a maze," I remarked as the five of us wandered down yet another dark corridor. It amazed me that Jessie and James knew their way so well around in this place, long hallways twisted and connected in all different directions leading to various rooms, stairways, and passages.   
  
I supported Misty as she walked on her weak, bruised legs, keeping an arm around her still trembling shoulders. No one commented about our arrangement and I was grateful for that. I think that everyone knew it was not the appropriate time to embarrass the both of us with their teasings when she just simply needed someone there to help her.  
  


"Tell me about it," Jessie remarked under her breath.  
  
"Where the hell are we going anyway?" Brock queried confusedly.  
  
"Shh, keep your voice down, you'll see when we get there," James told him once again, refusing to explain his actions and reasoning behind them.   
  
We did as he asked us to and continued walking quietly. When we reached the end of the corridor there was a door in a somewhat secluded area. James immediately pulled the ring of keys out of his pocket and began searching for the right one.  He opened a rather large storage closet with a key and I, along with Misty and Brock gasped when we saw what the inside contents held. Various guns, knifes, and other weapons capable of extreme harm lay stacked on top of one another, separated into distinct categories on every shelf. It was as if I was opening the door to death... literally.  
  
James began pawning through the plethora of objects, careful not to set any of them off. He picked up two guns in each hand and secured one on his uniform before handing the other one to Jessie, who did the same.  
  
"Here you go," he spoke handing a pistol to both Brock and Misty. Each one of them held it by the handle, holding the weapon as far away from them as possible while exchanging worried glances with one another. "And this one's for you, twerp," James said, handing me a gun as well, I reached out my hand to reluctantly take it but immediately ceased the action after hearing his next words. "Be careful it's loaded."  
  
"Woah!" I exclaimed, jerking my arm away on impulse.  
  
"Come on, Ash," he protested seriously.  
  
"James, what the hell is this?" Brock inquired finally as I shot him an incredulous glance as well. Jessie sighed heavily, answering for him.  
  
"Look, guys, I know that you don't want to have to actually do this and frankly, neither do we. We have never killed before but it's different. If you want to live this is our only defense against the rest of Team Rocket. You have to go through with it... no matter how incapable it seems." I opened my mouth to speak but James beat me to it.  
  
"And Ash wasn't it you who said that we had to kill Giovanni," he pointed out and I bit my lip, reeling at his words.   
  
I sighed to myself longingly, taking deep consideration into each of their words and actions. I had every intention to kill Giovanni and the others but although I had spoken it, I had not been able to comprehend actually going through with it. But as I stood face to face with the preparation for his death, the realization came over me and I knew what I had to do. Nodding to the both of them, I carefully placed the gun securely in my pocket. After seeing me, Misty and Brock nodded as well and reluctantly secured their weapons.  
  
"Okay then," I spoke after a moment of silence, clapping my hands together. "Let's do this."  
  
"All right, anyone have a plan?" Misty queried, turning to each one of us.  
  
"Okay," James answered. "I was thinking that maybe we should split up into two groups. Jessie and I are the only ones who know our ways around this place and if we all stayed together we do risk all being captured at once. So, if me and Ash first started out and then three of you followed us after, we would have back up in case they find us before we find them."  
  
I listened attentively as he explained his plan. It did make sense and had logical reasoning behind it. But when my personal feelings arose, I did not want to separate from my friends no matter how desperate the situation was. I could tell that the others, including Jessie, were thinking the same thing and trying to weigh out their emotions and the logic that would be required to save each of our lives,  
  
"Okay," Misty sighed heavily after a beat. "So we..."  
  
"Wait, did you hear that?" Brock suddenly spoke up.  
  
My train of thought was immediately interrupted as my ears lingered toward the sound near the doorway. We all turned deathly silent and slowly averted our gazes to see the door being unlocked and the knob turning. In entered a rocket member, one who was unfamiliar with me but Jessie and James seemed to recognize him... and he recognized them as well.  
  
"What the hell are you doing in here?" he bitterly inquired upon seeing them.  
  
"Shit," Jessie muttered under her breath.  
  
"How did you escape?" he queried in a low tone once more, stepping closer to us. I swallowed the lump in my throat upon seeing the man's enraged expression. Nobody responded and it was then I noticed him reaching into his uniform as he approached us.  
  
I opened my mouth to warn everyone as soon as I saw the shiny metal of a gun being retrieved from his pocket. The second he began to pull his arm out, however, his actions ceased to an abrupt halt. The sound of a gunshot distinctly rang in my ears and I closed my eyes momentarily afraid of what the impact would be.  
  
I was in for a shock when what in front of me was visible again. The rocket member slumped to the ground as his body promptly folded from underneath him. He flopped down unmoving and it was then I noticed the blood gushing from the center of his forehead and running over his face.  I slowly turned around to see James lowering a gun very slowly, breathing heavily as he did so. Misty, Brock, and Jessie looked just as stunned as I was and James seemed to be attempting to calm himself down due to his actions.  
  
"It's okay," Jessie spoke, breaking the eerie silence. She placed a hand on James' shoulder and stared at him reassuringly. "You didn't do anything wrong."  
  
We all nodded toward him with the reassurance and he understood, nodding as well. "Okay, we have to go now," he informed us after a beat in an urgent tone. "They know we've escaped and now a member has been shot down so we need to conquer the plan immediately."  
  
"All right, what do we do?" Misty queried in the same tone.  
  
"Ash, you come with me now, but we have to be discreet. And Jessie you follow with Misty and Brock in ten minutes down the other hallway," James continued describing the orders we had to go through with. An uncertain expression formed on Jessie's face as she eyed her partner and listened to him. It was obvious that she did not want to have to part with him and everyone, including him, saw it.  
  
"James, I don't think..." she started but he silenced her before she could get the words out.  
  
"Jessie, please!" he exclaimed firmly. "Just let someone else tell you what to do for once," he told her softly with more calmness. They held their gaze with one another before an understanding sigh escaped Jessie's lips.  
  
"Okay, be careful," she told him, staring at him intently. I saw the secret devotion rising up in both of their eyes as she warned him, silently fearing she may never see him again.  
  
I watched as James took one of her hands in his, eyeing her as he nodded. "You too," he said seriously. They kept their eyes fixated on one another once more before James broke apart and we started heading off in the other direction.  
  
I stole a glance at Misty, locking my eyes with hers, trying my best to reassure her. I tried to capture a mental image of her perfect face in my mind, because truth be told, it may have been the last time I'd ever got to see it. I managed to tear my gaze away from her and continue to walk away. I stopped at abrupt halt when her voice stuck the silent air.  
  
"Ash, wait!" she exclaimed and I quickly turned to face her. It surprised me that in her weakened state she still was able to run over to me.   
  
Our eyes met again as she halted in her tracks right in front of me so we were face to face. I remained silent waiting for her to speak of her reason for stopping me. I tried my hardest to read her expression and it seemed as if she were debating something with herself in her own mind.   
  
I distinctly heard her muttering under her breath, "Oh, what the hell." Her hesitations stopped suddenly and it was at that moment Misty did something that I never in a million years dreamed she would ever do.  
  
In one swift movement she wrapped both arms around my neck and the next thing I knew she had bestowed her lips upon mine. The gasps of surprise from Brock, Jessie, and James went unheard by me because instead of the millions of emotions that should have been running through me all I felt was utter shock.  
  
It took me several seconds for me to come to the realization that Misty was kissing me. Misty was kissing me. I couldn't believe what was right in front of my face but I soon was able to comprehend her own actions. I wrapped one arm around her waist and moved the other one up to caress her cheek as I returned the kiss, filling it with all the passion and love that I held for her. I held onto the moment for as long as I could, knowing it could be the first and last time I ever experienced it. I savored every touch of lips and tongue, trying to make every one a sacred memory. I was so caught up in the moment that momentarily, I forgot about the situation we were in. I forgot about the possibility my death could be waiting moments away, I forgot about Team Rocket and Giovanni. It was just Misty and I, and at that precise period in time, it felt as if she belonged to me and me only.  
  


I had to let go of her sweet lips eventually and in our sudden need for air our eyes locked again. I tried to read her expression once more, desperately this time. I had to know what she was thinking; I had to know what the reasoning for her actions. Had she kissed me in fear of losing me? Or as her last chance to confess her own love? I silently prayed that it was the latter. I stared at her even deeper before coming to the conclusion that I could not understand what she was thinking nor know the cause of why she did what she did. Neither one of us spoke, partly in fear of ruining the moment but also partly in fear of the other's reaction. Our fixated gaze on one another and sweet silence soon had to come to an end.  
  
"Ash," James spoke up quietly. I could hear the guilt in his voice for ruining the serenity of what had just went on, but I did not blame him for it.   
  
I sighed, giving in to reality once more. I did not say another word and for the first time I pushed my thoughts of Misty to the back of my mind. I continued to move into the other direction stealing once last glance at my best friend, my former enemy, and my new possible love. I nodded, taking a self controlling breath.  
  
I knew what I had to do. I had to go and face the man who had been trying to destroy me all these years. The man that caused the two women I loved the most, more pain even imaginable. The man who was the reason that I was standing that day.  
  
I had to put my father's evil tactics to an end once and for all.

--

_A/N: Sorry if that sucked; I have now realized that this whole story kinda sucks ;)  I am not going to abandon it, however, and I do have the rest written.  There are three more parts to upload; the big and probably very predictable ending, another chap. right before the epilogue, and the epilogue itself.  One part will go up every week. =)_


	7. What It All Comes Down To

**CHAPTER 6 What It All Comes Down To**

--

James and I walked in silence down the dark corridor, our guards up as we cautiously glanced around for other rockets. As hard as I tried to stay focused on the fiercely difficult task I was soon going to have to complete, I still couldn't reel my mind from what had just happened with Misty. I looked over and noticed a smirk, still plastered on James his face as he continued to steal suggestive glances at me. I turned to him, throwing my arms up in defeat and sighing.  
  
"All right, just say it already," I told him, exasperated. "I know you want to, just make whatever little comment you want and that'll be the end of it."  
  


He snickered to himself. "I just have one word for you, man... wow. I may have known you three a long time but I never knew that the girl twerp could kiss a guy like _that_. It really was something to see," he finished, stifling giggles.  
  
I couldn't hide the blush forming on my cheeks. "There's a lot of things that people who have known me for a long time don't know," I muttered under my breath.  
  


"Well, at least you guys finally admitted your feelings. It's about time," he said, slapping my back.  
  
"We didn't admit anything," I told him, sadness creeping into my voice at the realization. "She easily could have just done it because she thought it would be the last time she saw me."  
  
"Ash," James spoke firmly and I looked up to face him. "Trust me, that wasn't the reason. She loves you just as much as you love her."

For once in my life I did not deny my love for Misty. I simply put my head downcast, hoping with all my heart he was right.

"You know you might want to take your own advice," I spoke up after a beat.

"What?" he inquired confusedly.

It was my turn to be the knowing and teasing one.  "You know, admit your own feelings to Jessie, tell her you love her," I spoke simply causing James' cheeks to turn bright red.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he muttered unconvincingly, staring at the floor.

"I think you know exactly what I'm talking about," I reminded him and he looked up toward me, wearing the same expression I previously had on my face.  Neither one of us said another word but a silent confession had been made as we continued to make our way quietly down the long hall.

Suddenly I heard a cry of pain beside me followed by a loud thud. I cocked my head quickly and to my horror and fear I saw James slumping to the ground, unconscious. I began to rush to his aid when a clicking sound then rendered itself near my ear and I began to turn my head to see what the noise was from. My heart sunk in my chest as I made out a glimpse Butch, pressing a gun against my temple.  
  


"On your knees," he gruffly commanded. I gulped, swallowing the lump in my throat, unable to react to his words. "I said get on your fucking knees!" he shouted at me, raising his voice this time. I grunted in pain as he delivered a sharp kick in my left leg, forcing me to go to my knees any way.  
  


"Stupid kid," he distinctly muttered under his breath. Tears sprung to the corners of my eyes as he pinned my hands behind my back and began to search my clothing for weapons.  
  


I had failed.  
  
--  
I didn't know how much time had passed before I started drifting asleep. It was maybe possibly from a knock on the head or sheer exhaustion from all my struggling against Butch. I managed to keep my weary eyes open and I found hands being tied to a metal pole near the back of the room, where a still knocked out James was tied to the other side of.  
  
"You know I gotta hand it to you, kid, I underestimated you," Butch commented to me casually, sticking James' gun into his uniform pocket with his own before reaching over and taking away mine.   
  
"I mean, you were able to stop some of the boss's most well thought out plans that we executed but never did I guess that you'd make it this far this time." He snickered to my disgust and then roughly tied a blindfold around my eyes. "But as I predicted, you wouldn't be able to stop us now," he murmured cryptically.  
  
"Go to hell, you worthless piece of shit," I spat out bitterly. He glared at me icily due to my words and as I opened my mouth to speak again he gagged me with another piece of cloth.  
  
"Well, you certainly got that mouth from Giovanni," he remarked sourly.   I narrowed my eyes and moved my leg to kick him in the ankle. I heard him wince as a result and I was glad. I would not tolerate in any way being compared to that bastard of a father, I did not want to have a morsel of familiarity to him.  
  


 "I know your father wanted to do this job himself, but I don't think I can wait that long," Butch shot back at me angrily. My blood began to boil as he once again referred to Giovanni as my father. "And besides, I would be able to reek the benefits of being responsible for your death," he sneered and I felt sick. "I can see it now..." he started, gazing of dreamily. "Butch... second in command for Team Rocket..." I rolled my eyes as he trailed off. He then turned to me, a sadistic smile on his lips. "But first... there's a little something I'll have to take care of..."  
  


Butch raised his arm, holding my gun up, its barrel facing toward me. Even behind the blindfold I squeezed my eyes shut as if to block out what I was going to experience. Numerous apologies to my loved ones ran through my mind as my brain ran over what was expected it would be my final thoughts.

The sound of a gunshot filled my ears followed by an unknown weight plopping to the floor. I froze momentarily, waiting for the impact of the pain to come to my body but it never did. I began to frantically struggle at my binds, trying my hardest to get free. For all I knew Butch could have just shot James instead I needed to know what had happened.  
  


"Ash!"  
  


My thoughts were interrupted by the calling of my name. That voice, that sweet, beautiful voice... Misty's voice. My angel had come to my rescue once again.  
  


I breathed out in a sudden rush of air as the gag was ripped off my mouth. My sight returned as my blindfold was removed and I began to recognize Misty's bruised face in front of me.  
  


"Are you okay?" she asked me, her azure eyes filled with concern and worry, as the words quickly parted from her lips.   
  


How badly I wanted to kiss her again, to feel her so close to me without anyone coming between us and tell her how much I loved and cared for her. But I knew I couldn't. Not just because of fear of her reaction but because of the setting we were in. If I were ever going to confess my feelings to Misty it was not going to be in some dingy basement of Team Rocket HQ while we feared for our lives.  
  


I did open my mouth to answer her, I just simply nodded. She sighed in relief and began untying my hands from the pole. I then saw Brock moving over towards James to undo his binds and Jessie standing over Butch's dead form, a pistol in her hands which was still pointed to where he had been standing. My throat went dry as I fell into the realization of what had just gone on. I made eye contact with Jessie, silently thanking her for killing Butch and saving my life in the process.  
  
She averted the same gaze back towards me understanding what I was insinuating. Jessie finally removed her gun from its position and placed it back in her uniform after recovering from the aftershock of what she had just done. She sighed in what seemed to be an attempt to reassure herself before her attention fell onto James.  
  
"James!" Jessie exclaimed her train of thought being interrupted and she rushed over to his side. "What happened?" she anxiously questioned me as she saw her best friend who was just beginning to regain consciousness.  
  
"He's fine, he's just out cold," I hastily assured her. We all managed to come to standing positions eventually. Even James who was warily trying to keep his balance on his feet with the aid of Jessie.  
  
"Come on, let's get the hell out of here," Brock commented and we all immediately agreed as we began to head out of the room.  
  
Then, suddenly, a portal opened in one side of a room similar to a hidden door. We all stared at it in surprise and disbelief silently praying that you-know-who was not about to walk out from it. Unfortunately, our prayers were not met, and Giovanni promptly entered, along with Cassidy, Aaron, and two other Rockets whom I did not recognize.  
  
"Where do you think you're going?" he inquired sadistically upon entering.  
  
"To go and kick your sorry ass," Jessie retorted bitterly. I saw her beginning to load her gun behind her back as she spoke.  
  
Giovanni smiled amused by her harsh tone. "I don't think so."  
  


I saw Cassidy's eyes widened in what appeared to be a mixture of shock, grief, and pure hatred as she saw her partner lying dead on the floor. She removed her gaze from Butch's body as she turned to her rival, anger more evident in her gaze than ever. Then, not even confronting her leader for directions, Cassidy lunged on top of Jessie, knocking her to the ground and sliding the gun in her hand across the floor.  
  
James, having fully regained consciousness in the heat of the moment dove for the gun in an attempt to help Jessie. His attempt was compromised as Aaron moved from his position near the other Rockets, tackling James to the floor as well.  It wasn't long before a full fledged war developed between us and the other Rockets. A dark haired man lunged at Brock and a brunette woman went to attack Misty. Pretty soon the only people in the room who remained not fighting were me... and Giovanni.  
  
He simply just stood there a sadistic smile on his face as he watched the battling in front of him in what appeared to be amusement. He then averted his attention to me, his eyes gleaming as mine met his.   
  


"Like father, like son," he commented dryly towards me suddenly with a shrug of his shoulders. I looked at him in pure disgust but before I could retort I noticed the gun James and Aaron had been battling over slide across the floor and stop at the bottom of Giovanni's feet. He looked down towards the metal object and then looked back up towards me, an eyebrow raised.  
  
I ceased the opportunity and dived for the gun grasping its handle and ending up lying on my stomach on the floor at Giovanni's feet. I stared at the gun in my hand, a victorious smile enlightening my face. I began to stand and move back to help my friends when one of his black shiny shoes came stepping down on my risk, forcing my hand towards the ground.  
  


"Let go of it, Ash," he flatly demanded.   
  
An idea suddenly formed in my head and I gave into his requests releasing my hold on the gun and standing up to face him. Giovanni smiled in a superior manor, nodding his head towards me. Quickly and carefully I turned and swung my foot around kicking him promptly in the stomach and at the same time, kicking the gun over towards James' direction.  
  
A shot was heard and I saw the woman, who had been wielding a gun over a dazed Misty, falling to the floor after a bullet had been embedded in her back by James, whom had already knocked Aaron out cold. I glanced down at Giovanni who had doubled over, trying to catch his breath, and smiled coyly. His stare of mockery turned to one of unadulterated rage as he reached into his red pocket. My eyes widened in surprise as he pinned me against a wall, holding a pistol to my throat.  
  
"Ash!" Brock yelled out to me suddenly.   
  


I peered over Giovanni's shoulder just in time to see the henchman that he had been fighting with fire a shot, hitting Brock right above his left elbow. I saw him grab his wound in pain and sink to the floor. The rocket member inserted another bullet into the gun, getting ready to fire another shot at Brock but then he fell to the floor, seemingly dead, as James shot him too.  
  
James', Brock's, and Misty's enemies had all been eliminated but I caught a glimpse of Jessie and Cassidy still standing and battling amongst one another. Jessie was holding back Cassidy's wrist as she continued to attempt to stab Jessie, hurtful words of sworn revenge escaping her lips.  
  
"You... stupid fucking bitch..." Cassidy muttered breathlessly, still trying to impale her knife into Jessie's chest. "You... killed Butch... and now... I'm going to... kill you..." Jessie let out a cry of what appeared to sound like tiredness from the continuous struggle.  
  
James frantically searched around for another gun that had bullets left in it, upon seeing Jessie's strength and stamina beginning to decrease. A sickening snap was then heard as Cassidy somehow managed to twist Jessie's leg in the fight for the gun. She sunk to the ground and I almost gagged when I saw the bone sticking out of her leg and the blood pouring from the opening which it was protruding from her skin.  
  
Cassidy hovered over Jessie, holding the knife over her head as she lay there defenseless and gasping in pain. And then, just as all seemed lost, James pulled the gun from a henchman's belt and fired it in Cassidy's direction. The bullet went swiftly through the side of her face, crushing her cheekbone and splattering blood as she plopped down to the ground in front of Jessie.  I looked around the room observing the scene before me. The four Rockets remained either dead or unconscious and Brock sat on the ground, grimacing and clutching his arm. Jessie was on the floor as well crying out in pain as she stared at her broken leg which was sprawled out in an awkward direction and Misty was just managing to pull herself to her feet.  
  
Suddenly, Giovanni's attention was diverted from me. He removed the gun from its position over my throat and threw me towards the ground in one swift motion. I saw Misty, now standing, preparing to rush over to me... but she never got the chance.  
  
Giovanni swung an arm around her neck pulling back her hair tightly with his hand. "Hey!" Misty exclaimed angrily as he did so. "Let go of me!" she cried, trying her hardest to remove his arm from her around her neck. Her struggling soon ceased to an abrupt halt as he pressed the gun against the side of her head.  
  
My heart sank as an overwhelming feeling of terror I had never experienced before invading me. "No!" I shouted out, quickly scampering to my feet and beginning to rush towards Misty. I stopped dead in my tracks after moving several feet, however, for he had just redirected his gun so it was pointing toward me.  
  
"Ah, ah, ah," Giovanni immediately quieted me. "I don't think so, son, not this time," he informed, moving his gun back towards its position on Misty's skull before staring straight into my eyes once more. "If I were you, I wouldn't try anything smart there, boy. You playing Mr. Hero just might cause your little girlfriend here, her life."  
  
I saw Misty's pleading eyes desperately searching mine, praying that I do what he asked. I nodded in response, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Come on," I said quietly to him, reaching out my arm in a gentle manner. "Don't do this," I begged him, although knowing my attempts were useless and in vain. There was no soft spot to hit on this man; he had a heart of ice.  
  
Giovanni's grip on the gun and on Misty suddenly became tighter as I reached out my arm. She cried out in pain as he tugged at her hair once more. "Go ahead; keep talking if that's what you really want. Take one more step if you have to," he urged me, but I knew better and kept my mouth shut and my feet planted firmly on the ground. "Move, even breathe..." he threatened coolly.  "...and she dies."  
  
The pang in my chest worsened to the point that I couldn't even feel the heartache. I couldn't let this happen; I had sworn to myself that it would always be me instead of her. The faults of my own actions shouldn't be taken upon her and this pathetic excuse of a human being was certainly one of my faults.  
  
But then again it was happening. My father whom I had just met that very day... was holding Misty at point blank rage right in front of my very eyes. I held my gaze contentedly with her, silently trying my best to reassure her that everything would be all right, we knew better, however. Misty's fear suddenly diminished as Giovanni pushed it into her skull forcing her to feel the immense pain. Tears began to stream down her cheeks, partly from force of the gun against her head but also, I could tell, from the realization that her death could only be seconds away. And then, my heart felt as if it shattered into a million pieces. He pulled back the safety put his finger on the trigger...  
  
Something near the back of the room suddenly caught my eye, creeping up from behind. It was only a matter of seconds, before I realized what was going on. James tackled Giovanni sending the gun clattering to the floor and freeing Misty from his grasp. I rushed over and took her trembling form in my arms, not even caring at the moment what the repercussions of my actions might have been later; I was just so utterly relieved she was all right.  
  
A full fledged wresting match had endured between Giovanni and James. It was hard to tell who had the upper hand at the moment, James did have the gun in his hand but Giovanni was pinning him to the floor, holding his wrists down. He then reached into his suit pocket and a cry of pain filled the air. My eyes widened in horror and Misty went pale as Giovanni dug a knife into James, somewhere near his lower ribs.  
  
"James!" I heard Jessie yell out in a strangled tone from her position across the room. It amazed me how that even in her pale and shaking state she was able to force herself to crawl over to James' bloody body and apply pressure to his wound while ignoring her own.  
  
Giovanni grabbed the gun that had escaped James' hand and aimed it towards Misty's direction. He fired it and the bullet was released from its casting. It struck her somewhere near her shoulder and collar bone. She fell back to the floor under the impact and my fears were once again recognized. She remained barley conscious and I was relieved to learn that the gunshot had not hit her in a more damaging place.  
  
My eyes widened in rage as I saw Giovanni load his gun once more and point it back in her direction, this time aiming it at her heart. I was not going to let him attempt to hurt her. Not again, not in front of my very eyes, not ever. A strangled war cry escaped my throat and I jumped on top of Giovanni, pinning him to the ground under my weight.  
  
Another wrestling match endured between the two of us as I struggled to hold him to the ground. I managed to hold his wrists down but his strength was beginning to get too hard to control. I could not let go to pry the gun out of his hands and even though I had an advantage, he was not easily backing down.  
  
"Give it up, boy," he sneered to me between breaths as our fight continued. "You can't win."  
  
"Yes... I... can," I muttered determinedly as I still tried to hold him down, my own strength diminishing now.  
  
"I don't think so." Catching me off guard, Giovanni broke one of his wrists free from my grasp and punched me promptly in the jaw. I fell back slightly from the pressure and then the next thing I knew he had lunged knocking me to the ground again, knocking my head hard against the concrete floor.  
  
I groaned at the immense pain closing my eyes briefly but my senses were immediately alerted as I felt him press the gun down on me. I looked at him incredulously as he held the weapon to my head. "H-how can you do this?" I choked out. "I'm your own son for God's sakes." It pained me to say it aloud, but technically it was the truth even though I would not will myself to believe it. My only last hope was to try and remind him of whom I really was.  
  
He smirked and leaned down to whisper very quietly and cryptically in my ear. "I know that, Ash. But I also know that it is you, my own flesh and blood, who has beaten me and caused me to fail every attempt I make." His voice changed from its barley audible tone to one of much more vehemence. "It was always my dream to be a master, you know. And my stupid bastard son was able to accomplish it and I couldn't." I gulped and closed my eyes momentarily at the way I was being addressed.   
  
"It was you who forced me to live in this hole that I'm under. It was your bravery and heroism that ruined me and caused me to spend every fucking day of my miserable life wishing I were dead." To my surprise his voice began strangled and I thought he was going to break into tears. He didn't, however, and just returned to the whispering tone he first had acquired. "But now I realize that I don't have to die, I was just doing what I had to do. I'm the villain, you're the hero." He moved his positioning from talking into my ear and bore his cold eyes down on me, pressing the gun even deeper into my forehead. "Time to be a hero, son."  
  
"Please... don't..." I tried to whimper out breathlessly but I knew I was just wasting my time. Begging would not get me anywhere but to amusing him. He had no heartstrings to pull on.  
  
"Don't even bother, Ash. I'm just doing what I have to do. You were never meant to come into this world, therefore, I do not find it right that you deserve to live in it," he spat out bitterly.   
  
I flinched at his harsh words but tried my hardest not to let them affect me. No, I had come this far and I was not going to let Giovanni make me question my reason for living. But then again, was my reason for living over? Tears blurred my vision as I heard the cracking of the gun as he pulled the trigger back, not before leaning down to whisper in my ear one last time. "Just remember, son, Father knows best."  
  
This was it. This was what everything had come down to. Lying surrounded by dead Rocket member and injured friends with my life slowing slipping away at my father's grasp. It would all end here. My journey, my destiny, my life... everything. We would be nothing but legends now, tales told of the brave heroes who fought Team Rocket. What would become of the organization now? Its name would be greatly feared across the islands with no one to stop their brutal attempts. Humanity would suffer from our loss.  
  
Thoughts of my loved ones ran throughout my mind. Mom... Brock... Pikachu... Tracey... Professor Oak, even Jessie and James. I bid a silently good-bye to all of them as it ran through the midst of my mind. Waiting for the inevitable to come I cocked my head toward the side, staring at Misty's unconscious form. I wanted her to be the last thing I saw, not Giovanni's sadistic face. I gulped swallowing the lump in my throat and keeping my fixated gaze on Misty. This was it... the final moments of my life... and they had come way too soon.  
  
"Stop right there!"  
  
Never, not once in my entire seventeen years of existence, through every insane experience I ran across, had I ever been more thrilled to hear Officer Jenny's voice. Giovanni turned his head and I also averted my gaze to the sound of her voice. Pure joy and relief overwhelmed me as I saw her standing there, a loaded gun pointed in our direction in her hands, with about a dozen other armed police officers behind her.  
  
I tore my glance from Jenny and her officers to read the expression on my birth father's face. He still held the gun against my forehead, his finger resting on the trigger but his eyes remained on Jenny, darting across from policeman to policeman.  
  
"Drop your weapon!" Jenny commanded fiercely, keeping her pistol pointed at him as well. When he didn't move his gun from my head her tone held an even more demanding and authoritative tone. "I said drop it now!"  
  
I didn't know what was coming next. I had absolutely no idea what thoughts were running through Giovanni's twisted psychotic mind at the moment. Would he kill me even if it meant getting himself killed seconds later? Would he attempt to shoot at the police? I could not predict which scenario it would be, I just prayed that I had been saved after all.  
  
His face suddenly changed expressions from sadistic shock to pure unadulterated rage. An inhuman groan escaped his throat loudly and he glanced back at me once more before removing his gun from my head an aiming it at Jenny. He pulled back the trigger, ready to shoot but she beat him to the punch. Officer Jenny fired a shot into his left shoulder causing him to grasp the wound in pain as he cried out and sunk to the floor.   
  
I saw some of the other policemen move to tend to my friends. I felt myself begin to black out more rapidly from the previous blow to my head but I could still hear and see everything near me. An officer's words identifying injuries came to my attention as he spoke into his walkie-talkie to whoever was listening.  
  
"White female, mid to late teens, apparent rape victim, numerous bruising to face, arms, legs, and abdomen, gunshot wound to left collar bone, condition is stable but we're going to need an ambulance in here."  
  
I winced as I heard Misty's condition described word by word. My attention was averted back to Giovanni and Jenny who was having his hands cuffed behind his back by her as she spoke into his ear.  
  
"Firing at an officer with back up? Not really a smart move, huh Giovanni? I would have expected more from you," she told him disapprovingly causing him to glare at her fiercely in response. "We've been trying to shut down your headquarters for years. If it weren't for that talking Meowth we found tied up informing us of your plans we may have never found you."  
  
"Stupid hairball," Giovanni muttered harshly under his breath. "He's gonna pay for that."  
  
"Yeah? Well, you won't be making anyone pay anymore. The rest of your life is going to involved you paying for everything you've done. You'll be put away for life, I assure you of that," Jenny continued to inform him as she yanked him to his feet. "I hope you have fun rotting in prison," she remarked as she motioned for two other officers to take him away.  
  
Giovanni glanced back over his shoulders as the officers began to escort him out of the building. He averted his gaze towards Jenny, sneering at her as he did so. "Jail won't stop me you know," he growled at her causing her to roll her eyes in response. "Your men won't be able to hold me there." He then turned switching his attention towards me, his eyes darting fiercely into mine. "We'll meet again, my son." His tone was like ice and it made my blood run cold. "You haven't seen the last of me!" he shouted like a crazed maniac as he began to be dragged further away from the scene by the policeman, struggling against their grasp the entire time. I made one more final glance of eye contact towards the man that had created me and just like that he was gone... sent away to be punished for what he had did.  
  
Officer Jenny kneeled down beside me as soon as he was led away. I gazed up into her kind eyes, blearily being able to make out her face. "Jenny?" I choked out.  
  
"It's okay, kid. You're safe now, just lay back and rest until the paramedics get here," she told me calmly, urging me to lean back down.  
  
"Thank you," I whispered quietly. She nodded, giving me a reassuring smile. I averted my thankful gaze towards her once more and soon darkness clouded my vision once more. I didn't fight it like I had the last two times because this time when I went to sleep, I knew that for the first time in twenty-four hours... I was going to wake up free from my hell.

--

_A/N: Okay, well that was the big climax, basically what I'm sure everyone expected.  ;)  I posted this a little early just to get it out of the way, the ending parts should probably be up within the week. =)_


	8. A New Door Opened

**CHAPTER 7 A New Door Opened**

--

A blinding light was the first thing that came into my vision as I slowly opened my eyes, adjusting from the darkness. I squinted at the rays beaming down on me and soon realized that I was lying down on a table. I was numb all over until a stinging pain in my forehead came into action.

"Ow!" I exclaimed, propping myself to my elbows. I began to move my hand to where the pain was but someone stopped me, pulling my hand away.

"It's all right, young man, just lay back down. I only have a couple more stitches to go."

I looked up to see a middle-aged man staring back at me, obviously a doctor due to his white jacket and the stethoscope hanging around his neck.

"What?" I groggily questioned, slowly easing myself back down.

"I know you've been through a terrible ordeal but you're in a hospital now. You're okay, minus a few bumps and bruises. Oh, and we had to stitch up this cut on my forehead, but other than that you'll be fine," he reassured me.

"Are my friends..? Are they..?" I trailed off, desperately waiting for an answer.

"Don't worry about us, man."

I turned at the sound of another voice answering and saw Brock standing in the door. He seemed relatively unhurt except for the casual cuts and bruises plus the sling that was holding his left arm. I managed to smile at him as he entered the room slightly.

"Are Misty, James, Jessie...?" I began to question about the others when I noticed Jessie, hobbling in the door on crutches, a cast on her right leg going up above her knee.

"They're fine, twerp. Each one only had a flesh wound, thank God," she immediately answered and informed me before I had even gotten the words out.  I managed a weak smile and the doctor helped me to sit after he finished stitching me up and treating the wound.

"Thanks," I said, peering at the doctor gratefully.  He smiled, excusing himself out of the room and as he did so I noticed James entering.  He was buttoning up his shirt and I saw a bunch of white bandages wrapped around his lower ribs where the bullet had struck him.

"Hey," Jessie spoke gently upon seeing him.  She struggled to turn in his direction on her crutches.  "What are you doing up?"

"Eh, you know me, can't stay lying around for too long," he responded impishly.  "But I think I should be asking you the same question, here, come on, sit down," James told Jessie as he helped her into a chair and sat on the arm of it.  As soon as he was seated he leaned down and kissed her on her head, before leaning down further and kissing her full on the lips.  Brock grinned at the scene and I looked at the two of them, surprised by the fact that they had obviously gotten together over the time while I was knocked out.  I made eye contact with James who just smiled and winked at me.  After my shock had settled in I managed to return the gesture.

"She's in the room down the hall," he informed me, and I instantly knew he was referring to Misty as well as Jessie and Brock knew.  For once in my life I did not deny the fact, the truth had been revealed and I had to go deal with the aftermath of it.  Offering a weak smile at the three of them, I stood up, exited the room, and made my way down the hall.

I slowly walked into her hospital room, peering in the door. I opened it fully as the smallest of smiles formed on my face as I saw her once again. Even lying there battered and bruised and lying limp in the bed she was still the same beautiful Misty that I loved. I entered the room, shutting the door behind me and sat down on a chair near her bed. I stared at her profusely, deep in thought. My minds soon lingered back to the events that had happened. The kiss.

I don't think that ever in my life a simple kiss could mean so much to me that it penetrated itself so deep in my heart. I hoped with all my might that she had done it out of love but my rational half considered that her actions were caught up in the heat of the moment and the fear of dying.

I sighed heavily, bringing my hand up to move several strands of auburn hair off of her forehead. To my surprise, her eyelids fluttered at the simple touch until her aqua orbs were wide open and staring at me confusedly.

"Ash? What..?" she murmured; having the same reaction I had when I first awakened.

"Shh," I soothed her, brushing her hair back. "It's okay. It's over. It's all over."

"Are you..? What about the others..?" Misty trailed off, her words becoming jumbled.

"They're all fine, don't worry."

"What about Giovanni?" I winced at the name and I could see the fear rising up in her expression.

"He's been taken care of," I reassured her firmly. 

A huge sigh of relief escaped her and she propped herself into a sitting position. "Good," she muttered somewhat bitterly. We gazed in one another's eyes without saying another word. An awkward silence suddenly began to exist between the two of us and I knew I had to do something to break the tension.

"Misty..."

"Ash..."

We both laughed, easing the tension slightly for a moment. I held my arms up, gesturing for her to go first. She took a deep breath and the serious tension began to exist once more.

"Ash... about what happened back in the Team Rocket HQ..." I cut her off abruptly. I already knew what she was going to say and it would break my heart to hear her actually speak it. She was just caught up in the heat of the moment, I understood it. It made perfect sense that she kissed in fear of losing me. It made perfect sense that she didn't do it out of love.

"I know, Myst, don't worry about it," I mumbled, averting my gaze downwards. My voice came out strangled and I surprised myself as I felt the tears welling in my eyes.

"I just wanted to let you know that I meant every bit of it."

I blinked, reeling from the shock of her words. I looked back up towards her, confusion lining my features. Had I heard her right? She meant it? I stared at her confusedly and waited for her to say something.

"When I kissed you... it wasn't just the adrenaline talking." I then noticed a quality I rarely ever noticed in her. She seemed almost nervous. Confident, cool Misty seemed scared about speaking her mind. She took a deep breath before continuing. "Ash, after Giovanni... r-raped me," I saw her hesitate as she uttered the words before continuing. "...and I was lying there... I thought that was it. For a minute there, I thought I wasn't going to make it... that I was going to just lay there and die. And that's when I realized..." I listened attentively and she exhaled once more as she began to speak again. "...that I would never want to go without having the chance to tell you... how much I love you."

"W-what?" I stammered, unable to get out any other reaction. She sat up more and soon we were face to face. She reached over and took one of my hands, placing in both of her's.

"I am in love with you, Ash Ketchum," she stated bluntly, not breaking her eye contact from me once. "I have been from the moment I first laid eyes on you and I always will be until the last moment I lay eyes on you. Nothing can ever change that. And even if you don't feel the same way, I just thought you should know, because it's something that I cannot keep to myself any longer."

My head was spinning, my stomach was doing somersaults, and my heart was beating so hard it felt like it was going to leap out of my chest. I had been shocked when she kissed me, but to now learn this news from her, stunned me ten times more than I had been. I couldn't believe my ears.

Misty was in love with me.

It was something I never deemed possible, even when she kissed me, but now she was actually confessing exactly what I felt for her and fearing I did not feel the same way. Talk about your classic ironic situation.

"D-do you really mean that?" I tenderly questioned her, as I hesitantly and shakily raised a hand to caress her cheek. To my glee as soon as I moved my hand up to her face, she placed hers over it forcing it down.

"With all my heart," she murmured delicately, her words coming out slightly shaky as well. Our eyes locked as we held our gaze on one another intently, answers and secrets revealed within the simple stares. As I peered into her aqua orbs deeply, I then noticed a different emotion being portrayed back at me towards them... a feeling I had always prayed to see from her... love.

I began to lean down towards her, the distance between our faces decreasing as we did so. And as we shared our second kiss, the happiness and purity running through me were an acceptable substitute for the shock and surprise I had experienced the first time. I now knew that the feeling was mutual and her actions had not been out of adrenaline or vain. A huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders, never again to return. My anxiousness, resentment, and fear no longer had to exist and the charade I had been putting on for years could disappear. And there was no better feeling in the world to me, than me knowing that every relief stated was now indeed a fact... and not a fantasy.

I loved Misty, and most importantly... she loved me back.

--

_A/N: Just the epilogue to go now and that should be up soon ;)  Thank you to every one who has reviewed so far =)_


	9. Epilogue

**EPILOUGE  
**--  
  
_Turn out the lights now  
To see is to believe  
I just want you near me  
I just want you here with me  
And I'd give up everything only for you  
It's the least that I could do  
  
_

And now as I lay here in my bed, staring up at the ceiling, I reflect upon the events that took place three months ago. I'm back in my house in Pallet, in my room. My mother had insisted that we stayed for a while, Jessie and James, along with Meowth, were currently guests in home as well as the usual three of us. Mom had been shaken terribly by what had happened, partially blaming herself. She cried a little when we talked, but all was reassured between us and we even discussed some dark issues we had feared to ever mention in the past. Our bond as mother and son had grown stronger but I still knew she would not feel comfortable until I stuck around for a while.  
  
Pikachu is sleeping in its own little bed near the corner. It too had been upset to learn that it had not been there to help during the terrible ordeal. I had a long chat with him, and like Mom, my little buddy was reassured.  
  
I glance over at my alarm clock which read 1:00 AM before looking back down. Misty's head rests on my bare chest, one arm by her side, and the other one snaked over the waistband of my boxers. I play with a lacy strap of the light, skimpy nightgown she has on and the smallest grin forms on my face as I think back to what we had been indulged in for the first time together about an hour ago.  
  
Frankly, I had been surprised that she had not been more scared for the situation. I was nervous, since it would be my first time and I expected her to be extremely anxious, especially considering what had happened. To my surprise she was calmer than I was, and she clearly explained to me that it was the situation she had wanted to lose her virginity in, and she trusted me completely with her body that had been violated at one point.  
  


I run a lone finger down her porcelain cheek, her bruises are gone and the rest of us are pretty much completely healed from the gruesome actions Team Rocket and Giovanni took upon us.  
  
Giovanni.  
  
I found it utterly disgusting that I was sickened by even the speaking of his name. My own father. My own father had tried to murder me and the people I cared about. I still could not believe it nor could I understand it. The story had been advertised over the news along with the downfall of Team Rocket. The public had been horrified as well and the circumstances of my birth were a shock to them. I know it is something I am going to have to carry on my shoulders for the rest of my life but I have gotten through it this far and I know that I can go all the way.  
  


I sigh to myself contentedly and once again look back down at Misty. I move a crimson strand of hair from her face so I can get a better look at her beautiful features. The simple gesture is enough to make her stir from her sleep, however, and I feel the slightest bit of guilt for waking her. She always has been a light sleeper.  
  
"Go to sleep," she mumbles to me, in her half-sleeping, half-awake state.  
  
I chuckle slightly, wrapping my arms around her; she snuggles closer to me as I do so. "I will soon," I inform her, ruffling her hair. "I'm just... thinking..." I trail off.  
  
"About?" she questions, her words are muffled and her eyes closed.  
  
"Everything that's happened since these past three months."  
  
Her eyes open and she shifts her weight to gaze up at me with her aqua orbs. I can see the hidden pain reflected in them. It will always be a sore spot for the both of us. "Don't think about it too much, honey," she tells me seriously. "We've been through enough hell to then add the burden of it constantly being on our minds."  
  
I draw her body even closer to mind and sigh again. "I know," I say, rubbing her shoulder slightly. We remain in silence after that and Misty begins to fall back asleep. "But then again..." I suddenly start out of nowhere. She opens her eyes once more and waits for me to continue. "If it weren't for everything that happened... I may have never been able to find the courage to tell you how I feel."  
  
A small smile forms on her face and she presses her head against my chest more. "Me neither," she admits softly.  
  
I lean down and kiss the top of her head. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to be with you."  
  
"Probably as long as I have," she says sincerely. We linger in the sweetness of the moment without saying anything before Misty breaks the silence. "I love you so much, Ash."  
  
Her words are pure music to my ears for they are what I have been dreaming of hearing for so long. I rest my head against hers. "I love you too." It still amazes me that the words I had such a difficulty with can now roll so easily off my tongue. I make eye contact with her before speaking seriously once again. "And frankly, when it comes between losing you... and loving you... I'd much rather be in love."  
  
A smile forms on her face and she leans up. We embrace in a gentle kiss before we break apart. She moves her lips so they're right by my ear. I can feel her soft breaths along the nape of my neck and hear her whispers so distinctively. "I couldn't have said it any better myself."  
  
On that note, she moves herself back down and snuggles back up against my chest with my arms still securely around her. Her eyes close for the night and mine are soon to follow as I drift off into a well-needed sleep. I lay there, still holding her contentedly when suddenly something happens as I gaze down at her.  
  
My breath gets caught in my throat and my head is spinning. My stomach drops and it is almost as if the wind has been knocked out of me. I open my mouth momentarily but I find it has run dry and I am beginning to feel faint at the mere sight of her. And then it hits me, it has happened once more. 

I have just fallen in love with Misty all over again.  
  
_'Cause when there's you, I feel whole  
And there's no better feeling in the world  
But without you I'm alone  
And I'd rather be in love with you  
  
And I feel you holding me  
  
Why are we afraid to be in love?  
To be loved  
I can't explain it  
I know it's tough to be loved  
  
And I feel you holding me  
  
And when there's you, I feel whole  
And there's no better feeling in the world  
But without you I'm alone  
  
And I'd rather be in love  
Yes, I'd rather be in love  
Oh, I'd rather be in love with you  
  
_**END**

--

_A/N: Well, that's it, the story's over ;)  I want to take this time to thank everyone who has reviewed this fic and gave positive support towards it even because of its overdone plot.  I greatly appreciate all the positive comments from everyone.  I have several other long stories in the process of being written and some one-shots waiting to be posted.  Thank you again to all who reviewed this fic and any of my other ones. =)_

_Oh and one little thing I know that Misty wouldn't be willing to jump in bed with Ash right after she's raped so take note that this does take place three months after that so it is possible she would be more willing since more time has passed ;)_


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